Jenna Hogan: How to eat nutritiously

Dark green vegetables, such as spinach, collard or turnip greens and romaine lettuce, supply lutein and zeaxanthin, two other carotenoids that may lower the risk of macular degeneration.

Jenna Hogan

The American Dietetic Association's theme for this year’s National Nutrition Month is, "Eat right with color." They remind everyone to include a variety of colorful foods in their diets.

Jenna Hogan, University of Illinois Extension educator and registered dietitian, provides the following advice when it comes to eating nutritiously.

Color guide

Fruits and vegetables offer a rainbow of colors, which provide nutrients and phytonutrients, or plant chemicals. Each variety of plant includes a different set of nutrients with differing potential health benefits.

Some phytonutrients, such as carotenoids and flavonoids, serve as plant pigments that not only provide fruits and vegetables with beautiful color, but they also promote health by helping to slow the aging process and reduce the risk of many diseases, including some cancers and heart disease.

I recommend spending the most time and money in the produce section of the grocery store. Here you will find a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables that are packed with nutrients. Look for orange and deep yellow produce, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe and mangoes. These foods get their color from beta carotene, a carotenoid that converts to vitamin A in the body.

Also, choose red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon, which supply lycopene, another carotenoid that may offer protection from certain cancers, including prostate cancer.

Dark green vegetables, such as spinach, collard or turnip greens and romaine lettuce, supply lutein and zeaxanthin, two other carotenoids that may lower the risk of macular degeneration.

Finally, purple, dark red and blue fruits and vegetables, including eggplant, blueberries, beets and cherries, get their color from a flavonoid called anthocyanin, which may promote heart health.

There are many ways to paint your plate with color. Try grilling colorful vegetable kabobs skewered with tomatoes, green and red bell peppers and yellow squash. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese in a whole-wheat tortilla, or mix it up in a smoothie using frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries with low-fat milk.

To support our efforts, we are selling aprons with the logo, "Peas, Love and Good Nutrition." For more information about Capital District Dietetic Association of Springfield, Ill., visit www.eatrightillinois/Districts/cdda.asp.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the squash, peppers, sweet potato, red potatoes and onion quarters. In a small bowl, mix herbs, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Toss dressing with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.